Electrical connection



Nov. 20, 1928.

T. H. M COMSEY ELECTRICAL CONNECTION 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 26, 1924 Nov. 20, 1928.

1,692,678 T. H. M coMsEY ELECTRICAL CONNECTION Filed Nov. 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. MCCOHSEY, OF LOS AN GELES, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION.

Application filed November 26; 1924. Serial No. 752,342.

This invention relates to a connection for electrical conduc-tors and particularly pertains to a connection of the plug and socket type.

An object of the invention is to provide an electrical connection embodying a socket member which when applied to a pair of electrical conductors of a primary circuitwill normally maintain the circuit closed through the socket member, and which socket member is adapted to receive a plug member to effect electrical connection with a pair of conductors carried by the latter so as to complete a secondary or auxiliary circuit and in so doing, break the normally closed primarycircuit through the socket member, whereby a secondary circuit may be connected in series in a primary circuit and disconnected therefrom without breaking the primary circuit.

A further object is to provide an electrical connector which is especially adapted for use in connecting the heating coils of supplemental heating elements into the circuit of a main heating element, such as in electrically connecting heating pads into the circuit of electrically heated blankets and which will permit connection and disconnection of the heating pads from the blanket without breaking the circuit through the heating coils of the latter, and which connection is such as to obviate the use of separate switches in effecting breaking of the circuit to the pads.

The mode'of carrying out the foregoing objects, as well as such objects, features and advantages of the invention as may subsequently 1 appear, is hereinafter described, and is illustrated by wa of example in the accompanying drawings in which the several views depict constructions and arrangements of elements of parts whereby the invention may be carried into efi'ect.

Referring to the drawings the several views are as follows Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of one form of the socket member illustrating the manner in which a pair of conductors are nor mally electrically connected in the socket;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation partly in vertical section of a plug member adapted to be employed with the socket member shown in Figure 1;

Figure-3 isa view in side elevation partly in section showing the socket and plug members shown in Figures 1 and 2 as connectedtoconnected to the ends of electrical gether and showing the manner in which the normally closed connection in the socket member'is opened by the plug member;

Figure 4 is a viewin cross section as seen on the line 4-4.- of Figure 1;

- Figure 5 is a detail in section as seen on the line 55 of Figure 1-;

Figure 6 is a view in longitudinal section and elevation illustrating a modified form of the invention;

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional elevation as taken on a line extended through the conductor terminals as shown in Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a view in section partly in elevation of another modified form of the socket member;

Figure 9 is a view in elevation of a plug member to be employed with the socket member shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a perspective view illustrating the socket and plug members shown in Figures 8 and 9 as connected;

Figure 11 is a View incross section as seen on the line 11-11 of Figure 8;

Figure 12 is a view in cross section as seen on the line 12-12 of Figure 10;

Figure '13 is a detail in section as seen on the line 1313 of Figure 11; and

- Figures 14 and 15 are details in section illustrating further modifications.

Referring to the drawings more specifically the socket and plug members are indicated generally by the reference characters A and B respectively; the latter comprising a body 16 of insulating material which carries a pair of spaced electrically conductive plug contacts 17 and 18 insulated from each other and projecting from one end of the body 16 and connected to and forming the terminals of electrical conductors 19 and 20 constituting the conductors of a secondary or auxiliary circuit: The plug member B may be of any suitable construction and may comprise the plug element of an ordinary well knowntype of plug and socket connection now 1n general use. The present invention resides in the socket member with which the plug member is to be employed. This socket member comprises a body 21 of insulating material which is fitted with a pair of socket contacts 22 and 23 adapted to receive the plug contacts '17 and 18; and which sockets are here shown as embodying metal tubes which are eleptrlcally' conductors 24 and 25 and form the terminals thereof; the conductors 24 and 25 being those of a main or primary circuit. The body 21 is formed with an enclosed chamber 26 in which is housed a switch embodying separable contact members for eflecting electrical connection between the socket contacts; the socket contacts being designed to be normally electrically connected to each other so as to close the primary circuit through the socket member, which may be accomplished in various manners as by the several constructions shown in the drawings and which will be hereinafter described in detail.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the switch is shown as including a tongue or strip forming a contact member 27 struck from the metal tube forming the socket 22 which contact member projects into the chamber 26. The switch further includes a slide block 28 mounted for reciprocal movement in the socket 23 which block is formed of electrically conductive material and carries a tongue 29 which projects through a slot 30 in the tube forming the socket 23 and is normally retained in contact with the inner side of the contact member 27 by a spring 31 here shown as comprising a helical spring arranged in the socket 23 to bear between a wall or seat 32 formed in the latter and the inner side of the slide block and exerting a yieldable outward pressure on the slide block. The slide block is in electrical contact with the tube forming the socket 23 and hence when the contact members 27 and 29 are in contact, as shown in Figure 1, a cir cuit will be closed between the terminals of the conductors 24 and 25. The slide block 28 is normally disposed in such proximity to the outer end of the socket 23 that when a plug contact 17 or 18 is inserted in the socket 23 in effecting connection between the socket and plug members A and B, the slide block will be shifted in opposition to the spring 31 so as to move the switch contact member 29 out of contact with its companion contact member 29 and thereby break the direct circuit between the socket contacts and complete the circuit through the conductors 19 and 20 of the secondary circuit.

In the form of the invention shown in Fignres 6 and 7, the switch element is shown as including a pair of flexible metal tongues 33 and 34 electrically connected to the terminals of the conductors 24 and 25 and arranged in the chamber 26 substantially in parallel relation. A projection 35 on the tongue 33 normally contacts the tongue 34 and completes the circuit through said tongues. The outer end portions of the tongues 33 and 34 are inclined away from each other and have their inclined end portionslocated so that on inserting the plug contacts in the sockets the plugs will engage the inclined ends of the tongues and act to spread the tongues apart and thereby move the projection 35 out of contact with the tongue 34 and thus break the electrical circuit through said tongues.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 8 to 13 inclusive, the switch element is shown as comprising a plate 36 one end of which seats in a groove 37 in the insulated body 21; the plate 36 being arranged so as to contact the tubes forming the sockets 22 and 23 and being normally held in electrical contact therewith by a coil spring 38. The plate 36 is formed with a projection 39 which extends through an opening 40 in the wall of the socket 22 whereby on inserting the plugs contacts 17 and 18 in the socket contacts the plate 36 will be moved outwardly on the pivot formed at 37 in opposition to the spring 38, so that the plate will be disposedout of contact with the wall of the socket contact 23 as shown in Figure 12, thereby breaking the direct electrical connection between the socket contacts. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 14 a tensioned spring plate 41 is anchored at 42 and is arranged to seat on the walls of the socket contacts 22 and 23 to effect electrical connection therebetween. A projection 43 on the plate 41 extends through an opening in the wall of the socket contact 22 whereby on inserting the plug contacts in the socket contacts the spring plate will be bent in opposition to its tension so as to break contact with the wall of the socket contact 23 as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 14 thus breaking the electrical connection between the socket contacts.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 15, a flexible plate 44 is arranged to extend diagonally between the walls of the socket contacts 22 and 23 in normal electrical contact therewith; the plate spanning a gap 45 in the body 21 opposite an opening in the wall of the socket contact 22 and seating on the opposite margins thereof and there being a projection 46 on the plate extending into the socket contact 22 whereby on inserting the plug, contacts in the socket contacts the projection 46 will be shoved outwardly so as to flex the portion of the plate 44 spanning the gap 45 and thereby cause the end portion of the plate projecting toward the socket contact 23 to move away from the latter as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 15 thus breaking the electrical connection between the socket contacts 22 and 23.

As many changes could be made in the above method, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 4

I claim 1. As a new article of manufacture, a

socket element for an electrical connection comprising a body constructed of insulating material and having spaced cavities therein, a conducting sleeve in each cavity, an immobile contact consisting of a ton ue struck out from one of said sleeves, a mobi e contact electrically connected with the other of said conducting sleeves whose path of travel includes the immobile contact, a yielding pressure means for normally holding the mobile contact in electrical connection with the immobile contact, and a device carried byand movable with the mobile contact, whereby a circuit including both of said conducting elements will be normally closed by said mobile and immobile contacts, and whereby such circuit will be broken u on the insertion of a plug in the cavity having the mobile contact.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a socket element for an electrical connection comprising a body constructed of insulating material and having a pair of substantially parallel metal sleeves therein, there being a cavity in said body between said sleeves, a

a pair of relatively tongue struck out from one of said sleeves, and extendin into said cavity between the sleeves, a sprlng pressed slide block in the other sleeve, a contact member on said block normally contacting said tongue to efiect electrical connection between said sleeves, and a air of-plug contacts adapted to be inserted into said sleeves and operable when inserted therein to shift said slide block awa from said tongue to break the circuit through the latter.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a socket element for an electrical connection comprising a body constructed of insulating material and having a pair of spaced metallic sleeves therein, there being a cavity in said body between said sleeves, one of said sleeves having a metallic tongue struck up from the wall thereof to project into said cavity, said sleeve having anopen end near which said tongue is located to receive a switch plug, and spring pressed contact means operating in the other sleeve adapted to make and break electrical connection throu h said tongue.

THOMA H. MGCOMSEY. 

